About 10,000 people are expected to attend the 22nd
annual India Festival on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the University of Florida Sun Dome
in Tampa.

“We want everyone irrespective of their origin to come enjoy the
activities at India Festival,” said India Festival Chairman Mukesh Kapadia. “For
over two decades now, we have been bringing 10,000 folks under one proof to
promote our culture.”

Organized by the Gujarati Samaj of Tampa Bay, nearly 80 vendor booths will offer
clothing, jewelry, film DVDs and CDs, arts and crafts, photo studio, home décor,
etc. There also will be numerous eateries selling delicacies such as samosas,
bhel puri, chicken curry and dosas. A special treat to the palate will be
exotic, tropical-flavor ice cream and juices.

On the
lower level stage, performers will be decked out in traditional attire for four
categories of dance competition – garba, raas, folk and bhangra.

Indian-American communities in such far places as Miami, West Palm Beach,
Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Gainesville and Ocala among others will be
participating in dozens of competitions.

Throughout the Sun Dome, several closed-circuit TV monitors will be set up so
people can shop and eat while watching the dances.

The India Festival will be held 1 to 10 p.m. Nov. 7 at the USF Sun Dome, 4202 E.
Fowler Ave., Tampa. Tickets are $8 for adults; $5 for children 12 and younger.
For information, call Mukesh Kapadia at (813) 979-4048 or P.D. Patel at (813)
935-2591 or visit www.gujaratisamaj.org

SOUTH FLORIDA
EKAL TO HOLD MUSIC CONCERT NOV. 7

Story provided by Ekal Vidyalaya

The South Florida Ekal Vidyalaya team is looking to raise sponsorship for 250
Ekal Vidyalayas through a fundraising music concert “Yadon Ki Baaraat” on
Saturday, Nov. 7, by the Melody Makers group. The performance will be at 6:30
p.m. at Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center, 1700 Monroe St. (U.S. 1), in
Hollywood.

General admission of $12 includes dinner and the show by Melody Makers.
Admission for children between ages 5 to 12 years of age is $10.

The Ekal
movement is a non-governmental program that strives to eradicate illiteracy
among the tribal and otherwise less privileged children in India. It operates
through a novel system of informal one-teacher schools set up locally in
villages. The schools offer education in literacy, arithmetic, hygiene,
creativity, and culture. Ekal strives to empower villages while also
accommodating for local traditions and children’s schedules. Local residents
participate in establishing the schools.

One dollar a day for one year supports one school. After five years of financial
support ($365/year), each Ekal Vidyalaya becomes self-supporting. At present,
there are 26,719 Ekal Vidyalayas. To operate the
Vidyalayas, there are more than 26,719 teachers, 5,000 voluntary workers, 22
field organizations and eight support agencies.

The Hindu Temple of Florida in Tampa will present “Chitram:
A Portrait of India” – a grand multimedia
musical theater production, at the India Cultural
Center (5511 Lynn Road) as the culmination of a
fundraiser to support
Vidyalaya and Prasadshala.

This is a first-of-its-kind
performance in the
greater Tampa Bay area
where the Tampa community is engaged in bringing this production to life under
the leadership of composer and artistic director Kanniks Kannikeswaran of
Cincinnati.

What is Chitram? “It is an 80-minute long theater
production that tells the story of India’s cultural history using choral music,
dances and powerful visuals,”
says composer Kannikeswaran, who has several other
such productions and recordings to his credit. Chitram will be performed by a
cast of
more than
75 singers and dancers,
all from the Tampa area.

“This is a full-fledged stage
production that is being produced professionally,”
said Dr. Manjul Derasari, the person behind the Tampa performance.
“We are grateful to have Kanniks travel regularly to Tampa from Cincinnati
amidst his busy schedule to work with the community, to mentor the various
groups and pull of this performance.”

The initial conversations regarding Chitram commenced in January 2009. Kanniks
made his first trip to Tampa in May 30
and started rehearsing with a choir of committed singers. Dance rehearsals are
in progress as well. “All of it will come together in November,”
says Kannikeswaran.

Producing a performance on this scale from a distance is nothing new to Kanniks,
who has had his production “Shanti – A Journey of
Peace”
performed by the Lehigh Valley community first in 2006 and then in 2008. He is
now working with the Houston community on yet another large scale performance of
Shanti.

Gurleen Grewal, one of the singers,
described the music rehearsals as a “deeply
moving musical experience.” Singer Korabathina Rao
has been enjoying the rehearsals as well. The diversity inherent in the Indian
community is being reflected in the choir as well as in the array of classical,
folk and modern dances that will adorn the
large-scale
production.

“Chitram was a huge success in Cincinnati and we hope to repeat its success here
at Tampa” says Dr. Chitra Ravindra, president
of the Hindu Temple. Tickets for the
performance are priced at $50
and $100. Tickets include dinner
that will be served at the end of the program,
which starts at 7:30 p.m.
Audiences are requested to be seated 15 minutes before the commencement.
Admission into the hall will be restricted once the production
begins.
“We are also restricting the program to those 5 years and above,”
said Dr. Derasari.

“We live in a world where borders are shrinking and people of diverse cultures
are coming together. The Indian community in Tampa has grown to over 3,000
today. It is important that we share our culture with the broader community in
our area,” said Dr. Derasari, a
longtime
Tampa resident.

“We invite the community to support this production. Please get your tickets in
advance,”
says Dr.
G.

AACSA is the apex body of the Asian American convenience
store owners in the United States, according to AACSA Founding President Satya
Shaw.

Convenience store owners and operators from all across the
United States will be attending the mega event to discuss the issues related to
their business and welfare. Florida Chief Financial Officer and gubernatorial
candidate Alex Sink will be the chief guest, said AACSA Chairman Chandrakant
Patel.

A significant feature of the AASCA convention is the 28th
annual Miss India USA pageant, which will be attended by contestants from
about 28 states. Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia will inaugurate the AACSA trade
show at lunch and visit exhibition booths. She also will present Bollywood
dances along with six dancers from Toronto. Internationally acclaimed Ravi Drums
of Hollywood will perform at noon.

“It is our privilege to host the pageant, bringing beauty
and convenience store owners and physicians together on one platform,” said
pageant event Chairperson Swapna Shah.
Like the fourth annual convention, the November convention will bring in leaders
of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) and Asian
American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA).

It is important for Indian American physicians, hotel and
motel owners and convenience store owners to interact with one another and have
a common approach to the issues of interest to the Indian American community,
said Shaw.

The convention is free for store owners and invited guests.
Others can buy $50 tickets online, which includes

Former Indian
President Dr. Abdul Kalam, center, is flanked by Hindu Society of Central
Florida officers, Mahendra Kapadia and Dr. Adi Nallamshetty, during a visit Oct.
23 to the temple in Casselberry

In the
community hall filled to capacity, the audience was anxiously waiting to hear
his speech the main theme of it was "What Can I Give." In his usual witty and
charming way, Dr. Kalam instantly energized the audience with an inspiring
speech about community service. He reminded Indian Americans to work hard and
make India proud but to help everyone. He said by giving, one gets peace and
happiness.

The program
was arranged by the temple Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee. Dr.
Kalam's visit to the Hindu temple was part of a four-day trip to Orlando.

It’s back! The fifth-generation rear-wheel-drive 2010
Chevrolet Camaro could stay under wraps for just seven years before roaring back
into dealer showrooms with original styling cues still pretty much intact. Who
can forget the power dome in the long hood, the fast-raking windshield or grills
in the rear quarter panels? The cabin also retains the classic Camaro look with
deeply recessed instrument binnacles housing round gauges and the center console
four-gauge cluster of oil temperature, oil pressure, battery and transmission
fluid temperature readings.

Power to take the car from 0 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds comes
from a robust 3.6-liter direct-injection V-6 engine. It pumps out 304 horsepower
at 6400 rpm and 273 pounds-feet of torque at 5200 rpm. The iconic muscle car is
mated to a standard 6-speed manual or an optional 6-speed automatic transmission
($1,185). A four-wheel independent suspension system soaks

The interior is nice though not quite as roomy. But we
appreciated the three-spoke tilt/telescopic steering wheel, six-way power
driver’s seat and two-way manual front-passenger’s seat, full fold-down rear
seat, Boston Acoustics sound system, driver information center with compass and
leather shifter knob. The front center console could have been slightly more
spacious.

Try as much as we did, we couldn’t find any major flaws in
this Chevy. OK, we would have preferred that the car had better rearward
visibility and a little more headroom. But then the convertible set to debut in
2011 should take care of the problem.

The Camaro coupe is a head-turner for sure, stopping
bystanders in their tracks. It displays incredible nimbleness, tremendous
handling and exceptional braking. Indeed, the fun-to-drive, energetic and sporty
ride is great value for the money.

WHY DIG IT: If you need to seat five in comfort behind a
roomy and safe ride, which is equipped with a responsive power train, the RAV4
should be at the top of your list. Besides, it comes with Toyota’s solid
reputation for reliability and durability.

Have you opened a new store or restaurant in the last six months? Expanding or relocating? Has your business won an award or a mention in your local newspaper? We want to hear from you. Call Nitish S. Rele at (813) 758-1786 or e-mail us at editor@khaasbaat.com

TAMPA

GANESH GROCERY CELEBRATES 13 YEARS

Ganesh Market & Chaat Café in Tampa Bay area has completed
13 years. “I feel thrilled and proud when I look back at my successful journey,”
said Sonal Mashruwala, who has owned the store on Armenia Avenue along with her
husband Achut. “I am extremely thankful to the Indian community for their great
support. Without customers, a business cannot exist.”

Sonal Mashruwala, who received the 2009 Businesswoman of
the Year Award from the INDO-US Chamber of Commerce, wants to continue serving
the Bay area Indian community and create everlasting relationships with people.
“I have met so many great people with different personalities and professions,”
she said. “There is always one thing in common with everyone – we are all
Indians.”

Ganesh Market & Chaat Café is at 6204 N. Armenia Ave. is
open from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to p.m. Friday
and Saturday. A vegetarian buffet is served from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays
and noon to 5 p.m. weekends. For more information, call (813)
873-8708 or e-mail

Anything that appears in Khaas Baat cannot be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by Khaas Baat contributors are their own and do not reflect the publisher's opinion.

Khaas Baat reserves the right to edit and/or reject any advertising. Khaas Baat is not responsible for errors in advertising or for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers. Khaas Baat is published by Khaas Baat Communications.